


Alicante Pride

by supersapphics



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: F/F, Gen, Happy Pride, M/M, Mentions of Being Closeted, Mentions of Past Internalized Homophobia, Mentions of Past Internalized Racism, pride month
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-10
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-24 04:01:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19165405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supersapphics/pseuds/supersapphics
Summary: Alec and Aline decide to organize Alicante's first ever Pride event.





	Alicante Pride

**Author's Note:**

> This prompt was suggested to me by Rudy! Thanks for the great idea! <333
> 
>  
> 
> Potential trigger warnings: Several of the characters discuss having been closeted in the past, being ashamed of being LGBT, and both Helen and Magnus mention thinking when they were younger that being LGBT might have been connected to being Downworlders. They also refer to being LGBT as an abnormality.

“Mr. Lightwood?”

Alec looks up from his desk as the door opens and Aline pokes her head through the gap. He feels a smile spread across his face.

“Hey, come on in. And you don’t need to call me that,” he adds, as she shuts the door behind her and crosses the office to stop in front of his desk. “We’ve known each other since were six. And we’re the same age.”

“I know, but I’m just so proud of you,” Aline says, smiling.

He raises an eyebrow at her. “Thanks, but A) you have plenty to be proud of yourself. You’re my second in command around here, and B) you really came to my office during your lunch break just to tell me that?”

“Ok, no,” Aline admits. “I actually had something I wanted to run by you.”

“Ok, shoot.” Alec gestures to one of the chairs in front of his desk and Aline takes a seat.

“Have you heard of Pride? It’s something the Mundanes do. LGBT Mundanes, I mean. They organize like, marches and other events every year in June to celebrate being LGBT.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard of it. It was something I wish I could have participated in when I was younger, and, you know.”

“Yeah.” Aline rubs her hands together. “So, I was thinking….maybe we could have our own version of Pride here, in Alicante.”

Alec doesn’t respond right away, mostly because he’s surprised; he’d actually had the same idea in the back of his head for the past few weeks, but had unfortunately been too swamped with work to put any official effort into planning. Aline, obviously not sure how to interpret his silence, continues talking.

“It’s just, ever since you publicly came out, you’ve inspired so many other closeted Shadowhunters, including me, to open up as well. And not just Shadowhunters, but Downworlders too. And Downworlders are allowed in Alicante now, so I thought it would be nice if we could have a joint celebration for all LGBT Shadowhunters and Downworlders. And it’d be open to everyone, not just those of us who live in Alicante, but –”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Alec interrupts.

“You do?”

“Yeah. I was actually thinking of organizing something like that myself, but I haven’t been able to get around to it yet. So I’m really glad you brought it up.” He smiles at her and Aline immediately smiles back.

“I was thinking we could have it in a couple of weeks? I know there’ll be a lot to plan, but I think I could get it done by then.”

“We,” Alec corrects. “I’m not going to let you hog everything to yourself.”

Aline laughs. “Hey, I welcome your support.”

“You, me, Helen, and Magnus will all plan it together,” Alec assures her. “It’ll be the best Pride ever.”

“The first of many,” Aline says.

Alec stands up and walks around the desk. “C’mere.”

Aline steps into his open arms; her head barely reaches his shoulder, so he nestles his cheek against the top of her head.

“Can you believe we’re finally here in this moment?” Aline murmurs. “I mean, remember when we were fourteen and panicking and decided to date each other to avoid suspicion? And now look at us.”

“Yeah. Both of us are married to the people of our dreams.” Alec pulls back from the hug and looks down at Aline’s smiling face. “I’m proud of us.”

“Me too.” Aline raises one hand to hastily wipe away a tear that’s escaped. “I, uh, I should get back to work. My lunch break is almost over.”

“Sure.” Alec disentangles himself completely. “Thanks for coming to me with this idea. I can’t wait to get started.”

“I’ll come back here after my shift?” Aline suggests.

“I’ll be waiting,” Alec promises.

 

 

“This looks so good,” Magnus marvels. “I can’t believe we managed to pull all this off in only two weeks.”

“This is going to be great,” Alec agrees. “This is going to be the first of many great Pride events.”

Magnus beams and turns around to wrap his arms around Alec’s neck. “Can I just say how proud I am of you?”

“Of me? I didn’t really do anything. I mean, I helped organize, but so did you, and so did Helen and Aline. And it was Aline’s idea in the first place.”

“Still, this is such a great thing for a leader to be doing for his people. You’re going to inspire so many people.”

“It’s what a leader should do,” Alec says. “I want people who work here to feel comfortable around me. And I want other people who don’t work here to feel encouraged to follow our example.”

“I could have really used something like this when I was first realizing that I’m bisexual,” Magnus says thoughtfully as he turns his head to take in the decorations again. “Of course, that was…a good four centuries ago, but I can still remember how difficult it was. I thought maybe being attracted to multiple genders was something demonic, something associated with who my father is, and it took me decades to accept that it was normal.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Alec says, frowning. “I didn’t know that. You never mentioned it before.”

“It’s not something I really enjoy talking about. But I feel better just seeing all of this. And I know it must make you feel good too.”

“It really does.” Alec presses a kiss to Magnus’ forehead. “And you make me feel good. I love you so much.”

“You’re so sweet to me,” Magnus sighs, and tilts his face up for a kiss on the lips.

 

 

“Are you ok?” Helen asks as she and Helen pour pitchers full of lemonade. “You’ve been really quiet.”

“I’m doing great,” says Aline, her voice quiet. “I just, uh, I saw an Asian teenage girl earlier holding hands with her girlfriend, and – it just really hit me. In a good way, but still. I’m just feeling a bit emotional.”

“Awww, baby. C’mere.” Helen tugs gently on Aline’s arm and Aline sinks willingly into her wife’s embrace. “I’m sorry you couldn’t have that when you were a teenager.”

“Well, I did have girlfriends, but I always had to hide it,” Aline corrects. “I was too afraid of my mom finding out.”

Helen hums sympathetically. “My parents didn’t really mind, but I was always afraid that my being bi was, I dunno, a ‘symptom’ of being half Seelie and half Shadowhunter. Half the time I was worried about having to pick a race and the other half I was worried about choose a gender.”

“Being LGBT really sucked when we were growing up,” Aline mumbles, her face still buried in her wife’s shoulder.

“It did, but it’s better now. And look at us. We’re married and wildly in love. We’ll be together forever and while we’re together, we can keep organizing events like this. Events which will help teenagers like us have a better time than we did. Doesn’t that make you feel good?”

“It does,” Aline concurs, looking up at Helen with a soft smile. “I was just so happy for that girl. She reminded me so much of myself, and then I started thinking and I just got overwhelmed.”

“You helped her,” Helen promises her. “She must be thrilled that there’s a place in Alicante where she can walk around and be herself without fear.”

Aline released a shaky breath. “You’re right. Now, why don’t we finish up here so we can get ready for the parade.”

“You’ve got it.” Helen squeezes Aline to her side and presses a quick kiss to her temple before releasing her. Aline flashes her wife a grateful smile and then together they finish pouring the lemonade, holding hands the entire time.

 

The parade is a huge success. Hundreds of people march through Alicante, cheering, waving flags and banners. Multiple people are holding their phones above their heads and taking pictures of the crowd, and music (by LGBT artists only, of course) is playing loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Alec, Magnus, Helen, and Aline are marching at the front, all holding hands with one another. They’re all wearing shirts that say ALICANTE PRIDE 2017 on them (T-shirts that Magnus and Helen had designed together). There’s several boxes full of T-shirts waiting for them at the end of the parade – the four of them are planning to pass out the shirts and serve lemonade once the march is over.

Aline glances over her shoulder at one point and sees the teenage Asian girl directly behind her, holding hands with her girlfriend. Her girlfriend has scars on her neck that make it clear she’s a werewolf. The two of them make eye contact and the girl’s eyes dart down to Aline’s hand, which is entwined with Helen’s. The girl beams at her and Aline, tears in her eyes once more, beams back.

 

 

 

 


End file.
